Tuesday, March 19, 2024
HomeStageIs Stage 1 Breast Cancer Curable

Is Stage 1 Breast Cancer Curable

What Are The Complications Of Breast Cancer Recurrence

Treatment Strategies for Stage One Breast Cancer

Breast cancer that comes back can be harder to treat. The same therapy isnt always effective again. Tumors can develop a tolerance to certain treatments like chemotherapy. Your healthcare provider will try other therapies. You may be able to try drugs under development in clinical trials.

If breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, your healthcare providers still treat it like breast cancer. For instance, breast cancer cells that move to the lungs cause breast cancer in the lungs not lung cancer. Metastatic breast cancer is more difficult to treat than cancer in only one part of the body.

You may feel stressed, depressed or anxious. A mental health counselor and support groups can help.

Stage 3 Breast Cancer

Welcome back! This blog provides financial resources and information for people living with cancer. This post is the fifth in a series for information on breast cancer resources, which can be found at: . In this post I will focus on stage 3 breast cancer.

What is stage 3 breast cancer?

Stage 3 breast cancer is diagnosed when the cancer has grown in areas beyond the original tumor, usually in lymph nodes and muscle.; It is a locally advanced cancer but often curable. The risk for cancer growing back is higher with stage 3 breast cancer, so follow-up after treatment is critical.

How is stage 3 breast cancer treated?

Stage 3 breast cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy , radiation and/or hormone therapy.

Surgery: Your cancer treatment team will determine if your cancer is operable or inoperable. If your breast surgeon believes that most or all the cancer can be removed with surgery, and your body can recover from a surgical procedure, a mastectomy will be scheduled. Recovery will take a minimum of 4-6 weeks. For more details on what to expect with mastectomy, go to: What to Expect During and After Mastectomy Surgery . Treatment is available even if your cancer is inoperable.

Expected Time Off:
Will I need short or long term resources?
Short Term Resources:

How Is Breast Cancer Recurrence Managed Or Treated

Your treatment depends on the type of cancer recurrence, as well as past treatments. If cancer develops in a reconstructed breast, your surgeon may want to remove the breast implant or skin flap.

Treatments for local and regional breast cancer recurrence may include:

  • Mastectomy: Your surgeon removes the affected breast and sometimes lymph nodes.
  • Chemotherapy:Chemotherapy circulates in blood, killing cancer cells.
  • Hormone therapy:Tamoxifen and other hormone therapies treat cancers that thrive on estrogen .
  • Immunotherapy:Immunotherapy engages your bodys immune system to fight cancer.
  • Radiation therapy: High-energy X-ray beams damage and destroy cancer cells.
  • Targeted therapy: Treatments target specific cancer cell genes or proteins.

Read Also: What Are Common Treatments For Breast Cancer

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy And Neoadjuvant Her2

With neoadjuvant chemotherapy, all the chemotherapy to treat the breast cancer is usually given before surgery . If the tumor doesnt get smaller with the first combination of chemotherapy drugs, other combinations can be tried.

If your tumor is HER2-positive, you may get neoadjuvant trastuzumab and neoadjuvant pertuzumab , but not at the same time as the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin .

Is Stage 1a Breast Cancer Curable

Radiation Therapy Breast Cancer Stage 1

Although the majority of women with Stage I breast cancer are cured following treatment with surgery and radiation, some patients may benefit from additional treatment with chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy. Treatment after surgery is called adjuvant therapy and it may further decrease the risk of cancer recurrence.

Also Check: What Happens When Breast Cancer Metastasis

Stage 0 Breast Cancer

What is Stage 0 breast cancer?

Stage 0 breast cancer is when the cells that line the milk ducts have become cancerous. This type of cancer is called ductal carcinoma in situ , or non-invasive or pre-invasive breast cancer.

At this stage, the cancer has not spread to surrounding tissues. And while its considered non-invasive, its important to remember that it can still become invasive and spread beyond the milk ducts if it isnt treated.

What are the treatment options for Stage 0 breast cancer?

  • Surgery Breast surgery is often the first step at Stage 0. Depending on the size of the tumor, how fast the cancer appears to be growing and your personal preferences, there are two types of surgical options:
  • Lumpectomy A lumpectomy is a targeted surgery that removes the lump or tumor in question, and a small amount of normal tissue around it. This is commonly referred to as breast conservation surgery . In the United States, most women with Stage 0 breast cancer undergo a lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy.
  • Mastectomy If the cancer has spread throughout the ducts and affects a large part of the breast, doctors may recommend a mastectomy. With this surgery, the entire breast is removed and possibly some lymph nodes as well.
  • Radiation If BCS is done, radiation is almost always recommended after surgery. The goal of radiation is to get rid of any cancer cells lingering in your breast and prevent them from coming back.
  • Does Having Breast Cancer Shorten Life Expectancy

    Women with breast cancer whose tumour is detected early can survive as long as those without the disease. Analysis of the latest figures shows that if a cancer was small, low grade and had not spread to the lymph nodes, women were given a normal life expectancy if they remained clear for five years after treatment.

    Also Check: What Is The Percentage Of Getting Breast Cancer

    Life Expectancy And Outlook

    In the United States, its estimated that more than 42,000 women will die from breast cancer in 2020.

    However, its important to know that aspects like life expectancy and your outlook can vary greatly based off many individual factors.

    In the past, a diagnosis with HER2-positive breast cancer was associated with a poor outlook. Advances in drug therapies in recent years have improved the treatment options for HER2-positive breast cancer as well as the outlook for people with the disease.

    According to the American Cancer Society, HER2-positive breast cancers are much more likely to respond to drugs that target the HER2 protein, despite the fact that they can grow and spread quickly.

    This type of treatment is called targeted therapy. Well discuss it in more detail in a bit.

    When considering your outlook, your doctor must analyze many other factors as well. Among them are:

    Hormone treatments may be an option for cancer thats also HR positive.

    Also Check: How Treatable Is Breast Cancer

    Myth #: Metastatic Breast Cancer Is A Single Type Of Cancer That Will Be Treated The Same Way For Every Person

    What Are the Stages of Breast Cancer?

    The label metastatic contributes to the myth that it is one kind of breast cancer. But like earlier-stage breast cancers, stage IV cancers can have different characteristics that will guide treatment choices. They can test positive or negative for hormone receptors and/or an abnormal HER2 gene the gene that causes the cells to make too many copies of HER2 proteins that can fuel cancer growth. These test results guide treatment choices.

    For triple-negative stage IV cancers meaning they test negative for hormone receptors and an abnormal HER2 gene testing for PD-L1 is becoming more common. PD-L1 is a checkpoint protein found on the surface of healthy cells that prevents the bodys immune system T-cells from attacking them. Some breast cancer cells also have large amounts of PD-L1 on their surfaces, which helps shield them from the bodys immune response. Newer immunotherapies are being used to treat PD-L1-positive MBC.

    Furthermore, treatment choices can depend on a persons age, overall health, and whether there are other medical conditions present.

    The bottom line? Treatments vary. DivineMrsM of Ohio says it well: There is the misconception that there is one standardized treatment for every case of MBC, like a one size fits all. But there are different approaches and it cant always be said that one approach is better than another. Most people dont realize different subcategories of this disease.

    Recommended Reading: Can Metastatic Breast Cancer Go Into Remission

    How Often Does Stage 1 Breast Cancer Come Back After Treatment

    If stage 1 cancer is treated comprehensively, it rarely comes back. A new, unrelated breast cancer is more likely to emerge after stage 1 breast cancer is treated than a recurrence. Your healthcare provider will recommend a surveillance schedule for you so that new breast cancer or a recurrence can be identified and treated as quickly as possible.

    What Are My Options For Coping And Support

    You may find that youre able to cope better if you take an active role in your own care. Partner with your doctor and stay informed. Ask about the goals of each treatment, as well as potential side effects and how to handle them. Ask about any potential clinical trials as research is making strides. Be clear about your own wishes.

    You dont have to deal with lung cancer alone. Your family and friends probably want to be supportive but dont always know how. Thats why they might say something like let me know if you need anything. Take them up on the offer with a specific request. This could be anything from accompanying you to an appointment to cooking a meal.

    And, of course, dont hesitate to reach out for additional support from social workers, therapists, clergy, or support groups. Your oncologist or treatment center can refer you to resources in your area.

    For more information about lung cancer support and resources, visit:

    Don’t Miss: Where Does Triple Negative Breast Cancer Metastasis To

    Living With Stage : The Breast Cancer No One Understands

    Leer en español.

    Editors note: Were bringing back this piece from October 2014 for Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day and to honor Jody Schoger, featured in the story. Schoger died of metastatic breast cancer in May. Want to learn more about MBC? Look for our tweets at the Northwest Metastatic Breast Cancer Conference this Saturday at Fred Hutch.

    A no-nonsense Texan of 60 years, Jody Schoger* has a very no-nonsense way of educating people about her metastatic breast cancer.

    âSomeone will say, âWhen are you done with treatment?â and Iâll tell them, âWhen Iâm dead,ââ said Schoger, a writer and cancer advocate who lives near Houston. âSo many people interpret survivorship as going across the board. That everybody survives cancer now. But everybody does not survive cancer.â

    An estimated 155,000-plus women in the U.S. currently live with âmets,â or metastatic breast cancer. This type of cancer, also called stage 4 breast cancer, means the cancer has metastasized, or traveled, through the bloodstream to create tumors in the liver, lungs, brain, bones and/or other parts of the body. Between 20 and 30 percent of women with early stage breast cancer go on to develop metastatic disease. While treatable, metastatic breast cancer cannot be cured. The five-year survival rate for stage 4 breast cancer is 22 percent; median survival is three years. Annually, the disease takes 40,000 lives.

    Recommended Reading: How To Tell If Breast Cancer Has Metastasized

    The Stages Of Breast Cancer And Your Treatment Options

    PPT

    Compared to most other cancers, staging breast cancer is more complex. And when it comes to treating breast cancer, there isnt a one-size-fits-all approach. Your treatment plan should be created especially for you and be coordinated across specialists and thats where your cancer care team comes in.

    At HealthPartners, we believe cancer treatment and care is best managed by a group of doctors and specialists in whats known as multidisciplinary conferences. This is where breast surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and other members of your care team gather to discuss the best treatment sequence for you.

    Below we dive into the treatment options your care team might recommend at various breast cancer stages.

    You May Like: What Does Stage 1 Breast Cancer Mean

    Starting With Neoadjuvant Therapy

    Most often, these cancers are treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy . For HER2-positive tumors, the targeted drug trastuzumab is given as well, sometimes along with pertuzumab . This may shrink the tumor enough for a woman to have breast-conserving surgery . If the tumor doesnt shrink enough, a mastectomy is done. Nearby lymph nodes will also need to be checked. A sentinel lymph node biopsy is often not an option for stage III cancers, so an axillary lymph node dissection is usually done.

    Often, radiation therapy is needed after surgery. If breast reconstruction is done, it is usually delayed until after radiation is complete. In some cases, additional chemo is given after surgery as well.

    After surgery, some women with HER2-positive cancers will be treated with trastuzumab for up to a year. Many women with HER2-positive cancers will be treated first with trastuzumab followed by surgery and then more trastuzumab for up to a year. If after neoadjuvant therapy, any residual cancer is found at the time of surgery, trastuzumab may be changed to a different drug, called ado-trastuzumab emtansine, which is given every 3 weeks for 14 doses. For people with hormone receptor-positive cancer in the lymph nodes who have completed a year of trastuzumab, the doctor might also recommend additional treatment with an oral drug called neratinib for a year.

    Survival For All Stages Of Breast Cancer

    Generally for women with breast cancer in England:

    • Around 95 out of every 100 women survive their cancer for 1 year or more after diagnosis
    • Around 85 out of every 100 women will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis
    • Around 75 out of every 100 women will survive their cancer for 10 years or more after diagnosis

    Cancer survival by stage at diagnosis for England, 2019Office for National Statistics

    These statistics are for net;survival. Net survival estimates the number of people who survive;their;cancer rather than calculating the number of people diagnosed with cancer who are still alive. In other words, it is the survival of cancer patients after taking into account that some people would have died from other causes if they had not had cancer.

    You May Like: Where To Go To Get Checked For Breast Cancer

    How Treatment Can Impact Survival Of Early Stage Breast Cancer

    In most cases, the earlier breast cancer is first diagnosed and treated, the better the chance of survival. Cancer cells often become more difficult to treat and may develop drug resistance once they spread. The aim of treatment for Stage 1 and 2 breast cancer is to remove the breast cancer, and any other cancer cells that remain in the breast, armpit or other parts of the body but cannot be detected. Having treatment at this stage can also reduce the risk of the cancer coming back.

    Read more:

    Histological Grade And Ki67

    Early stage breast cancer treatment | Breast Cancer Treatment at stage 1 | Dr Rohan Khandelwal

    Histological grade information was available from the ICD-O-3 code and categorized as low , intermediate and high according to the Elston-Ellis modification of the Scarff-Bloom-Richardson grading system . Women with anaplastic carcinoma were excluded, leaving n=24,137 women for the analysis . Ki67 has been recorded routinely since 2011 and was categorized as low , intermediate or high according to cutoffs in the Norwegian treatment guidelines .

    You May Like: What Is The Youngest Age To Have Breast Cancer

    What Does It Mean To Have Stage 1 Breast Cancer

    In Stage 1 breast cancer, cancer is evident, but it is contained to only the area where the first abnormal cells began to develop. The breast cancer has been detected in the early stages and can be very effectively treated.

    Stage 1 can be divided into Stage 1A and Stage 1B. The difference is determined by the size of the tumor and the lymph nodes with evidence of cancer.

    From Cured To Stage 4

    Others, like Teri Pollastro, a 54-year-old stage 4 patient from Seattle, respond surprisingly well.

    Diagnosed with early stage ductal carcinoma in situ in 1999, Pollastro underwent a mastectomy but did not receive chemotherapy, radiation or tamoxifen, since her cancer was ER negative.

    âThey used the C-word with me, they told me I was cured,â she said. âEvery time I went back to my oncologist, he would roll his eyes at me when I had questions.â

    In 2003, Pollastro switched to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance where she saw Dr. Julie Gralow, a breast cancer oncologist and clinical researcher at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Gralow discovered Pollastroâs cancer had metastasized to her liver.

    âMy husband and I were in shock,â said Pollastro of her mets diagnosis. âYou donât go from being cured to stage 4.â

    Pollastro went on Herceptin, a type of immunotherapy for women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, and did six months of chemotherapy.

    âI felt better right away with the treatment,â she said. âBut the problem is, it stopped . Thatâs what you can expect with mets. And thereâs always some residual cancer. And that starts percolating.â

    And along with mets, she also had to deal with many misconceptions regarding her disease.

    The Mercer Island, Washington, mother of two, who often counsels newly diagnosed patients, sometimes even found it difficult to relate to early stage breast cancer survivors.

    You May Like: How Likely Am I To Get Breast Cancer

    How A Breast Cancers Stage Is Determined

    Your pathology report will include information that is used to calculate the stage of the breast cancer that is, whether it is limited to one area in the breast, or it has spread to healthy tissues inside the breast or to other parts of the body. Your doctor will begin to determine this during surgery to remove the cancer and look at one or more of the underarm lymph nodes, which is where breast cancer tends to travel first. He or she also may order additional blood tests or imaging tests if there is reason to believe the cancer might have spread beyond the breast.

    The breast cancer staging system, called the TNM system, is overseen by the American Joint Committee on Cancer . The AJCC is a group of cancer experts who oversee how cancer is classified and communicated. This is to ensure that all doctors and treatment facilities are describing cancer in a uniform way so that the treatment results of all people can be compared and understood.

    In the past, stage number was calculated based on just three clinical characteristics, T, N, and M:

    • the size of the cancer tumor and whether or not it has grown into nearby tissue
    • whether cancer is in the lymph nodes
    • whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body beyond the breast

    Numbers or letters after T, N, and M give more details about each characteristic. Higher numbers mean the cancer is more advanced. Jump to more detailed information about the TNM system.

    Jump to a specific breast cancer stage to learn more:

    RELATED ARTICLES

    Popular Articles